The Boat Race: The Canadian aiming to guide Oxford to glory

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With the Newton Women’s Boat Race taking place on Sunday March 30th, we here at Sportsister have caught up with some of those at the heart of the action.Christine Wilson is the head coach of the Oxford crew and has brought her own tradition of success to the Dark Blue boat.

The Canadian was formerly assistant Coach to the US Women’s Olympic Team, Head Coach of Women’s Programmes at Yale and Cornell, and was the first woman to coach men at a major American university programme. So is she the woman to help Oxford retain the title they won last year?

This year is the last year that the Women’s Boat Race will be held at Henley. From 2015 the women will move to the Tideway between Putney and Mortlake on the Thames and race the same prestigious stretch of water as the world-famous men’s boat race.

Speaking to Christine at the joint weigh-in held two weeks ago, it’s clear she’s excited about the changes happening in the women’s race. ‘When anyone around the world thinks of the boat race they tend to associate it with the Thames in London,’ she says, ‘so for the women to join that historical stretch of race of very meaningful to this rivalry.’

The decision to move the race to the same stretch of water as the men’s race highlights the increased respect now afforded to the women’s race. Christine explained that she thinks it is reflects a wider change across all sports.

‘What is happening with this move is quite important for the development of women’s sport,’ she says. ‘The British Olympians who raced in London have for years been growing the profile of British rowing. But only a very select group of people will race for their country and represent Great Britain, whilst there are all kinds of other women, young and old, who aspire to be as good as they can be at the sport they love. What this change does for women in rowing is it really gives women who are very driven, and very competitive, something else to reach for.’

The weigh-in, held at title partner BNY Mellon’s central London headquarters, was a joint affair with the women weighing in alongside the men. This happened for the first time last year and again is further evidence of the women’s race now commanding the same respect and attention as the men’s event.

‘It [the joint weigh-in]creates a parallel experience,’ explains Christine. ‘The men have had these moments in the spotlight for a long time, and I think that by including the women in these build up events allows them to have their time in the spotlight which is important.’

The weigh-in involves each member of the crew being introduced, and weighed, in front of an audience of media and sponsors. Last year when this happened for the first time, concerns were raised about whether it was right to put women on a scale in such a public setting. Christine is keen to point out that the weigh-in is not about numbers on a scale but rather is a formality of the sport and about celebrating the training the women have undergone.

‘There were concerns last year about the public weigh-in, but what is exciting for me as a coach, is to bring our athletes here, and to be proud of the strong bodies they’ve trained. They have beautiful bodies that are representative of the strength and power needed in our sport so having them stand up and present those bodies I think is a very good thing.’

Another exciting development for the Newton Women’s Boat Race this year is the event’s brand new trophy. Previously racing for a shield that paled into insignificance next to the impressive men’s trophy, this year the women’s race boasts a custom designed trophy.

It’s beautiful,’ says Christine, ‘We were at the unveiling a few weeks ago I had the chance to talk to the designer (Rod Kelly, one of the the UK’s leading silversmiths), and the amount of homework he did to understand the significance of the race and the rivalry was huge. He’s done such an amazing job of representing elements of the sport, and bringing quite beautiful symbolism to the trophy itself.’

Christine admits that one question she asked the designer at the unveiling did not go down too well, ‘I asked him if the athletes could drink champagne from it!” she laughs. “The look of horror on his face suggested no!’

However, whichever crew is lifting the new trophy on 30th March, with the strides that everyone involved with the Women’s Boat Race is making, few could begrudge them filling it with a few bottles of bubbly to celebrate.

Beth Shine, Sportsister
The Women’s Sport Magazine

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